Opinion: Fracking: Cuomo’s Conundrum

Editorial board member Steve Moore on the political pressures Gov. Cuomo faces on whether to allow fracking in New York. Photo: Associated Press

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

I ... welcome back to Opinion Journal I'm I'm joined now by Journal editorial board member Steve Moore in Washington I don't stay if ... I get ... Steve hydraulic fracking for natural gas as replied communities and states all over the country with one exception New York state to mess because of governor Andrew Cuomo's ... reluctance to use me to pervert approve fracking in New York state ... God tells a little bit about the political pressures that ... have come to bear on Governor Cuomo why not New York state ... well first of all of a strike in one quick they had there are several states that have been on fracking I've Deon but costs are states that don't add flavor bought that don't have much over on natural gas ... new York is the first one ... that actually die in upstate New York there is we don't know exactly how much the wrist but we do know that oil and gas ... and the andthe drillers wanna go after that ... and by the way it's been happening ... in neighboring states like Pennsylvania obviously ... I it's happening in West Virginia and South Korea taxes it's happening in North Dakota ... and the big issue you and I in New York is the environmental issue and and this isn't to be taken lightly and in ... you obviously assured that you have about clean water but if you look at these other states that are doing it he added ... there is no evidence that there's been contamination of the water supply and it hasn't happened in North Dakota and that hasn't happened taxes as happened last Virginia ... Pennsylvania so I think this is an extreme played on them by marvelous as would the governor in a real tough situation because he obviously apps that cater to those left wing about malice but we're talking about upstate New York and as you know that's what most depressed areas in the country ... now it looks like East Germany steep around to look a quote ... from Andrew Cuomo on which he calls ... the economic benefits of fracking in ... aren't you will fall ... nonetheless he won't do it what does the nature of the environmental pressure ... on who was doing this is brain is pressure to bear on Governor Cuomo since there are so many people ... in upstate New York including farmers are sitting in the areas relevant role for whose sake ... lot were the ones taking the rest were willing to take it why will he do it ... get out of money said Ackerman at the consistency when every of these towns See Amore they wanna do out you know the drilling and then you've got this is a nominal opposition ... eager it's not that I'm a typical for you know ninety nine the moderator of the people of the town to be in favor of the drawing because it brings so much money in economic development and jobs in the area ... with the media always does finds that one person but it was against the Indian Army the person ... and that's I think happening in upstate New York is you have a few of these abdominal radicals who are against it but the vast majority of people in upstate New York feel like this is about jobs is about getting my make and by the way you look at areas like really wants Virginia which use to be an incredibly depressed area ... a lot of farmers to become millionaires out there so I'll lot of the founders of New York would like to become millionaires ... staples Kass this in the context of national politics ... we understood you know everyone a sort of understands and Oracle is the odds-on favorite to become the presumptive right aam in the ... bottom Cuomo Harbors is there in the background I know what could happen ... at the many of the level is the Democratic bill led to the far right movement still in Alter bleak oppose the fracking in a way that makes it difficult ... for one of those potential nominees to support fracking if they want that nomination in twenty sixteen ... I think that's exactly the answer your your earlier question yet about why I and therefore more so reluctant to do this I think if you were not seen as a national candidate and he really wanted to do what was best for New York there's no question it's a no brainer you go forward with the drooling with that with environmental safeguards but this is a man who's on the shortlist as out potential price presidential or vice presidential candidate ... it probably this teenage can get through a Democratic primary ... if you're pro fracking I think that's the answer that's a tragedy because the people or almost by fracking ... out of the lowest income people who need those shots ... well you know we ... we talked all this time of um Andrew Cuomo I think the question that you should be raised where does Hillary Clinton stands on the right track to meet her president has reluctantly come out of favor but what about her ... write exactly and that she doesn't ... she doesn't need to make the ad immediate decision will see if the media at your house to that question but you know what that what all these groups can ... come up for fracking one of the most interesting thing ... I don't think these groups even understand what fracking and because I think we the people of the drilling industry they say we've been doing in fracking for fifteen hours to fifty four and the IPO is powerful today as there were fifteen hundred years ago we were a number of drill the Texas and California all over the country are I ... thank so much de ...